Radiohead | The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/music/radiohead
Latest news and features from theguardian.com, the world's leading liberal voiceen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2016Fri, 09 Dec 2016 15:56:55 GMT2016-12-09T15:56:55Zen-gbGuardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. 2016The Guardianhttps://assets.guim.co.uk/images/guardian-logo-rss.c45beb1bafa34b347ac333af2e6fe23f.pnghttps://www.theguardian.com
Literary mixtape: Teddy Wayne on songs of desire and obsessionhttps://www.theguardian.com/books/literary-mixtapes-by-electric-literature/2016/dec/08/literary-mixtape-teddy-wayne-on-songs-of-desire-and-obsession
<p>Pop songs often walk an uncomfortable line between romantic obsession and stalker-like pursuit. Author Teddy Wayne shares 10 songs that helped him write about a lonely freshman in his novel Loner</p><p>By Teddy Wayne for <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/literary-mixtapes-by-electric-literature">Literary Mixtapes by Electric Literature</a>, part of the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/series/guardian-books-network">Guardian Books Network</a></p><p><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27276325-loner"><em>Loner</em></a><em> </em>is about David Federman, a freshman boy at Harvard running away from his suburban New Jersey origins, who becomes infatuated with a charismatic, upper-crust Manhattanite in his dorm, Veronica. His abiding attraction to her is not only about love and sex, but ambition, status, and class, and his belief that, through her, he can elevate his (already elevated) station in life.</p><p>Obsession is a popular topic to write about in fiction, in part because it resoundingly answers that most clichéd of MFA-workshop questions: “What does the character want?” (Or the actor’s question of “What’s my motivation?”)</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/literary-mixtapes-by-electric-literature/2016/mar/16/literary-mixtape-miroslav-penkov-cranks-up-radiohead-and-queen-on-the-shores-of-the-black-sea">Literary Mixtape: Miroslav Penkov cranks up Radiohead and Queen on the shores of the Black Sea</a> </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/literary-mixtapes-by-electric-literature/2016/dec/08/literary-mixtape-teddy-wayne-on-songs-of-desire-and-obsession">Continue reading...</a>BooksCultureMusicCat PowerPet Shop BoysJack WhiteRadioheadElliott SmithThe CureThu, 08 Dec 2016 15:00:02 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/books/literary-mixtapes-by-electric-literature/2016/dec/08/literary-mixtape-teddy-wayne-on-songs-of-desire-and-obsessionPhotograph: Publicity image from music companyPhotograph: Publicity image from music companyTeddy Wayne2016-12-08T15:00:02ZBest albums of 2016: No 10 A Moon Shaped Pool by Radioheadhttps://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/dec/05/best-albums-of-2016-no-10-a-moon-shaped-pool-by-radiohead
<p>Was Radiohead’s ninth album the sound of them opening up? An accidental soundtrack to the era of Trump? Whatever the answer, it was one of their best </p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/nov/30/the-best-albums-of-2016">More of the best albums of 2016</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/series/best-culture-2016">More on the best culture of 2016</a></li></ul><p>Radiohead’s ninth album was viewed <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/may/09/radiohead-fans-review-a-moon-shaped-pool-it-feels-like-a-return-to-form">in some quarters</a> as the group backing away from their usual existential angst and instead looking internally and opening up. Maybe it was a breakup album, after Thom Yorke’s 23-year relationship with the mother of his two children ended, or a mid-life appraisal as the band approached their 50s? Or perhaps it was simply them lodging their tongues in their cheeks and having fun with their image as the stern stalwarts of British rock? Whatever their intentions, it’s possibly the best album they’ve produced and showed once again that they’re a band who can evolve while retaining the core tenets of what defines them.<br></p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/nov/30/the-best-albums-of-2016">The best albums of 2016: 40-21</a> </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/dec/05/best-albums-of-2016-no-10-a-moon-shaped-pool-by-radiohead">Continue reading...</a>RadioheadMusicCultureThom YorkePop and rockMon, 05 Dec 2016 07:30:17 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/dec/05/best-albums-of-2016-no-10-a-moon-shaped-pool-by-radioheadPhotograph: Jordi Vidal/RedfernsPhotograph: Jordi Vidal/RedfernsLanre Bakare2016-12-05T07:30:17ZThe best albums of 2016: 40-6https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/nov/30/the-best-albums-of-2016
<p>A countdown of Guardian music’s favourite albums of the year. We’ll reveal the top 10 each weekday until 16 December</p><p>• <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/culture/series/best-culture-2016">More best culture of 2016</a></p><p><sub>6</sub> </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/nov/30/the-best-albums-of-2016">Continue reading...</a>MusicCulturePop and rockCountryGrimeRapHip-hopKanoLambchopIggy PopDrakeNick CaveBon IverLeonard CohenA Tribe Called QuestThe 1975RadioheadSkeptaChristine and the QueensAnohniIndieWed, 30 Nov 2016 07:30:11 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/nov/30/the-best-albums-of-2016Photograph: PRPhotograph: PRGuardian Staff2016-11-30T07:30:11ZRadiohead are confirmed as first headliners for Glastonbury 2017https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/oct/20/radiohead-glastonbury-2017-festival-headliners-confirmed-pyramid-stage-worthy-farm
<p>Band to make their first Pyramid stage appearance at Worthy Farm since 2003</p><p>The last time Radiohead topped the bill at Glastonbury, Moby was still big enough to headline one night of the festival, and Suede and Super Furry Animals were both prominent in proceedings, having not yet split up, let alone re-formed. More shocking still, Tony Blair was still prime minister, <a href="https://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/researcharchive/88/Political-Monitor-Satisfaction-Ratings-1997Present.aspx">albeit with personal approval ratings that had fallen to 31%</a>. But now the band are to take to the Pyramid stage at Worthy Farm for the first time since 2003, when they headline the Friday night of Glastonbury 2017 on 23 June.</p><p>The festival gave clues that something was in the offing during the course of Wednesday, when the BBC’s webcam of Worthy Farm picked up a pattern in front of the Pyramid stage that <a href="http://www.nme.com/blogs/does-this-symbol-confirm-radiohead-will-headline-glastonbury-2017-1652948">looked remarkably like Radiohead’s bear’s head logo</a>, prompting speculation on social media about the band appearing. Or that it was a Mickey Mouse head, and <a href="https://twitter.com/GlastoTwisto/status/788742013869056000">there might be something Disney-related on the cards</a>. </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/oct/20/radiohead-glastonbury-2017-festival-headliners-confirmed-pyramid-stage-worthy-farm">Continue reading...</a>RadioheadGlastonbury 2017Glastonbury festivalPop and rockMusicCultureFestivalsMusic festivalsThu, 20 Oct 2016 12:51:09 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/oct/20/radiohead-glastonbury-2017-festival-headliners-confirmed-pyramid-stage-worthy-farmPhotograph: Rick Kern/WireImagePhotograph: Rick Kern/WireImageMichael Hann2016-10-20T12:51:09ZRadiohead's Ed O'Brien to release carnival-inspired solo albumhttps://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/oct/10/radiohead-ed-o-brien-solo-album-carnival
<p>Guitarist reveals that he wrote solo material during a year in Brazil, due to be released after the band’s current world tour</p><p>Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien has announced plans to release his debut solo album. He will be the fourth Radiohead member to go it alone, following side-projects from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/sep/26/thom-yorke-tomorrows-modern-boxes-bittorrent">Thom Yorke</a>, <a href="http://www.philipselway.com/">Philip Selway</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2014/jun/13/jonny-greenwood-radiohead-classical-music-live-performance">Jonny Greenwood</a>. </p><p>The record is set to be released after the band finish their current world tour, and is inspired by the time O’Brien and his family relocated to Brazil. </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/oct/10/radiohead-ed-o-brien-solo-album-carnival">Continue reading...</a>RadioheadMusicCultureMon, 10 Oct 2016 09:50:26 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/oct/10/radiohead-ed-o-brien-solo-album-carnivalPhotograph: Matthew Baker/Getty ImagesPhotograph: Matthew Baker/Getty ImagesGuardian music2016-10-10T09:50:26ZRadiohead and Paul Thomas Anderson join forces for another music videohttps://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/oct/05/radiohead-paul-thomas-anderson-numbers-music-video
<p>Minimal video for The Numbers features Jonny Greenwood and Thom Yorke on a bench, following There Will Be Blood director’s work on Present Tense</p><p>Radiohead and There Will Be Blood director Paul Thomas Anderson have released another minimal video, this time for The Numbers, a song from their ninth studio album, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global/2016/may/08/radiohead-a-moon-shaped-pool-review">A Moon Shaped Pool</a>.</p><p>Titled <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hgVihWjK2c">The Numbers: Jonny, Thom and a CR78</a>, which is a reference to a Roland drum machine, the video features guitarist Jonny Greenwood and Thom Yorke sitting on a bench while playing the song. Shot in Tarzana, California, it is the third video he has produced for the band’s current album.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/oct/05/radiohead-paul-thomas-anderson-numbers-music-video">Continue reading...</a>RadioheadPaul Thomas AndersonFilmCultureMusicWed, 05 Oct 2016 22:59:22 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/oct/05/radiohead-paul-thomas-anderson-numbers-music-videoPhotograph: Chris Pizzello/APPhotograph: Chris Pizzello/APGuardian staff2016-10-05T22:59:22ZWhen Hollywood goes rock – five videos by star movie directorshttps://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2016/sep/16/hollywood-rock-music-videos-movie-directors
<p>Radiohead unveiled a new clip by Paul Thomas Anderson on Thursday. But when star directors meet musicians, success is not guaranteed …</p><p>At <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/live/2016/sep/15/the-2016-mercury-prize-ceremony-live">the Mercury prize ceremony on Thursday night</a>, Radiohead – instead of performing – unveiled a video of Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood performing Present Tense. It’s the latest in a long line of videos in which big music stars team up with major Hollywood directors, the former presumably thinking some silver-screen glitz will rub off on them, the latter thinking
<strike>
it’s an easy payday
</strike> they can show their pop smarts and improve an oft-shoddy artform. </p><p>So settle back in the back row, dig in to your popcorn (please don’t bring nachos, they stink the place out) and let us consider that point where canvas chair meets mixing desk. There are scores more than these five, though, so do highlight your favourites in the comments …</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2016/sep/16/hollywood-rock-music-videos-movie-directors">Continue reading...</a>MusicRadioheadMichael JacksonNew OrderBruce SpringsteenPaul Thomas AndersonMichael BayKathryn BigelowBrian de PalmaCultureFilmFri, 16 Sep 2016 14:04:01 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2016/sep/16/hollywood-rock-music-videos-movie-directorsPhotograph: Allstar/SONY/Sportsphoto Ltd./AllstarPhotograph: Allstar/SONY/Sportsphoto Ltd./AllstarMichael Hann2016-09-16T14:04:01ZSkepta wins the 2016 Mercury prize – as it happenedhttps://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/live/2016/sep/15/the-2016-mercury-prize-ceremony-live
<p>The 25th Mercury prize was won by the London grime star for his album Konnichiwa. Here’s how the evening unfolded</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global/2016/sep/10/skepta-konnichiwa-boy-better-know-mercurys">Skepta interview: ‘People are catching on. There’s a revolution happening’</a><br></li></ul><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2016-09-15T21:09:37.832Z">10.09pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>Thanks all for reading. Hope you’re as pleased as I am with the result. Mercury blog and it’s shutdown. Off to sleep like a log and I’m shutdown. Going to leave my desk, forget all the rest, going home’s the best, and it’s shutdown. Have a very good night!</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2016-09-15T21:05:43.144Z">10.05pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>Is anyone going to say that isn’t a grand win? Fair play: an album that sounds like modern Britain, made by someone whose music has the distinct hue of the underground, but with wide commercial appeal, who ACTUALLY SOUNDS EXCITING. God know there isn’t enough music that’s exciting at the moment, and Skepta’s someone who’s actually doing something that has an edge. Alexis Petridis will be offering his verdict soon. And I’ll be surprised if he’s upset – he liked Konnichiwa. </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/may/12/skepta-konnichiwa-review-boy-better-know-album-of-the-week">Skepta: Konnichiwa review – rhymes that are dextrous, sharp and very British</a> </p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2016-09-15T21:02:09.792Z">10.02pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>Key points:</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2016-09-15T20:57:10.087Z">9.57pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>It’s time to reveal that the winner, as announced by Jarvis Cocker is … Konnichiwa by Skepta! Because it’s what Bowie would have wanted. And here’s the Guide’s interview with him from the other day! </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global/2016/sep/10/skepta-konnichiwa-boy-better-know-mercurys">Skepta on grime: 'People are catching on. There's a revolution happening'</a> </p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2016-09-15T20:53:46.202Z">9.53pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>Now we know Bowie has not won, my money is on Skepta. Have I got time to place a bet?</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2016-09-15T20:50:53.097Z">9.50pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>His PR has just posted this on Facebook: “Sorry if you put your money on Blackstar but it’s not won The Mercurys.”</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2016-09-15T20:50:12.424Z">9.50pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>Is here! And he’s playing a song called Quintessence! I really liked that album last year. But, if I’m honest, I haven’t listened to it since. And if you want proof that winning the Mercury isn’t the passage to fortune that is sometimes thought, consuder this. His album At Least for Now peaked at No 37. Now, that’s a shame. But it’s not wholly surprising: florid, near-baroque balladry isn’t the easiest sell in the world.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2016-09-15T20:41:31.307Z">9.41pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>I went to the Mercury ceremony in 2012, when he was nominated for his first album. He played live that year, too. He had a jazz flute. I’d never seen jazz flute played live before. People at my table kept saying “Jazz flute!” to each other.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2016-09-15T20:38:54.735Z">9.38pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>It’s Michael Kiwanuka! Tim Jonze spoke to him the other week. Have a read if you don’t want to listen to his song.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/sep/08/mercury-prize-contender-michael-kiwanuka-kanye-wanted-me-to-be-myself-i-wasnt-ready">Mercury prize contender Michael Kiwanuka: ‘Kanye wanted me to be myself – I wasn’t ready’</a> </p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2016-09-15T20:34:43.394Z">9.34pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>Are Radiohead! With a live clip shot by Paul Thomas Anderson, maker of often unwatchably pretentious films (write your own joke). But they’re not in the room. So they’re not going to win. Serves them right. They might have to smile if they won, and they wouldn’t like that.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2016-09-15T20:29:57.403Z">9.29pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>The fact that Michael C Hall is performing – he’s the star of the Lazarus stage show, which opens in London soon, and this is in no way a plug for the stage show but a real and sincere tribute to Bowie – puts paid to the theory that Bowie had faked his own death and planned to return at the Mercury ceremony, then. Admittedly, it was not a very popular theory. He’s really been working on his Bowie impersonation. I’d rather have had Michael J Fox, to be honest.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2016-09-15T20:25:08.941Z">9.25pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>To the token jazzer? The A-Z is mentioning the token jazzers, but they don’t seem to bother with them any more. Nice to see mention of the Klaxons. That was a choice no one could regret. They proved to be here to stay, eh? And nice bit of taking the piss out of Tony Parsons and his insistence on the greatness of Mark Morrison.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2016-09-15T20:21:22.534Z">9.21pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>Is the 1975. Their fervent fanbase voted for them, so they’re the public vote inclusion. I’d better be quiet at this point, because anyone who ever looks at Guardian Music knows how much I love them. I must be honest, however, and admit that young Matthew’s voice isn’t sounding at its absolute best here. Because if I don’t, a load of people will tell me so. But bands rarely sound great on live TV, do they?</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2016-09-15T20:18:36.551Z">9.18pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>Were on Facebook earlier, scoffing at BBC 6Music listeners choosing the first Gomez album as their favourite Mercury winner ever. Two words, Americans: JAM BANDS.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2016-09-15T20:16:55.299Z">9.16pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>Of the record that beat Parklife in 1994.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2016-09-15T20:15:30.810Z">9.15pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>Apparently it’s a “secret history of British and Irish music”. That would be apart from it being an awards ceremony, rather than something that takes place in a sealed bunker, the results known only to six people, all of whom are shot after learning the winner.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2016-09-15T20:11:20.942Z">9.11pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>He started out in pirate radio in east London! Got to be Bowie! Oh, no. It turns out it’s Skepta. He’s doing Shutdown. The song so representative of 2016 it came out in summer 2015. Still great though. My kids run through this one its entirety, often. It would be fair to say they don’t bring quite the same charisma.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2016-09-15T20:09:33.166Z">9.09pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>Asks Lauren. No. We’re not.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2016-09-15T20:08:57.459Z">9.08pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>Lauren is going to be EXCLUSIVELY revealing the six FINALISTS of the Mercury prize one by one throughout the evening. Kicking off with Laura Mvula and her live performance, earlier tonight. So not quite live, at our end, then. And she is playing a KEYTAR! And her drummer keeps drumming unnervingly. She’s delved into her album to find one of the songs that has a conventional structure. Rather than lots of twiddly bits.</p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2016-09-15T20:05:00.948Z">9.05pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>Lauren Laverne has opened the BBC4 coverage. It is the 25th year of the Mercuries, and let’s be honest, it’s all been downhill since M People. If you want to refresh your memory as to the 12 nominees, they’re all here …</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/aug/04/2016-mercury-prize-shortlist-what-our-critics-said-hear-the-albums">The 2016 Mercury prize shortlist: hear the albums – and see what our critics thought of them</a> </p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2016-09-15T20:02:57.568Z">9.02pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>Earlier today, our writers offered their thoughts on who they thought should win, and you can read that right here …</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2016/sep/15/mercury-prize-bowie-skepta-radiohead-critics">Bowie? Skepta? Radiohead? Our critics decide who should win the Mercury prize</a> </p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2016-09-15T19:51:05.186Z">8.51pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>Hannah Ellis-Petersen is there as our news reporter, and she’s already sent us this Pulitzer-worthy scoop: the top-secret, closely guarded menu for the evening’s dinner. </p><p class="block-time published-time"> <time datetime="2016-09-15T19:42:46.698Z">8.42pm <span class="timezone">BST</span></time> </p><p>The 2016 Mercury prize ceremony – sponsored this year by Hyundai, and let’s not dwell on<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/nov/03/hyundai-and-kia-fined-100m-for-misleading-customers-on-fuel-economy"> the time they and Kia were fined £62m</a> for not being wholly truthful about fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions – gets underway on BBC4 on 20 minutes or so. And I’m going to be sitting here in the office, watching it on a computer screen, rather than downing free booze at London’s glamorous Hammersmith Apollo, the venue for my formative gig experiences (oh, beloved Whitesnake, Iron Maiden, Marillion, Judas Priest). My colleague Harriet Gibsone has been a judge this year, but has been singularly unhelpful in giving me information to help me pay off my mortgage via a well-placed bet. In the absence of anything happening yet, here’s a random picture from the red carpet. </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/live/2016/sep/15/the-2016-mercury-prize-ceremony-live">Continue reading...</a>Mercury prize 2016MusicCultureMercury prizePop and rockDavid BowieThe 1975SkeptaRadioheadLaura MvulaMichael KiwanukaKanoAwards and prizesThu, 15 Sep 2016 21:09:37 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/live/2016/sep/15/the-2016-mercury-prize-ceremony-livePhotograph: Olivia Rose for the GuardianPhotograph: Olivia Rose for the GuardianMichael Hann2016-09-15T21:09:37ZBowie? Skepta? Radiohead? Our critics decide who should win the Mercury prizehttps://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2016/sep/15/mercury-prize-bowie-skepta-radiohead-critics
<p>Ahead of the Mercury prize ceremony in London , our writers argue the case for the albums they think deserves the coveted gong</p><p>The best moments of Laura Mvula’s 2013 debut <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/feb/28/laura-mvula-sing-moon-review">Sing to the Moon</a> seemed to suggest the arrival of a unique talent – certainly more so than its advance billing as a Radio 2-friendly retro soul album. But its follow-up really bears that promise out. There hasn’t been another album released in the last 12 months that’s even remotely like <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jun/16/laura-mvula-dreaming-room-cd-review">The Dreaming Room</a>: it exists in a world entirely of its own. The album’s serpentine tunes thread their way through 36 minutes of strange, heady musical juxtapositions: explosive vocal harmonies, baroque classical ornamentation, off-centre funk, leftfield hip-hop, psychedelic R&amp;B. The music is richly, seductively melodic without really using choruses or hooks; the songs seem to slowly unfurl before you; the lyrics – and Mvula’s delivery of them – are both poignant and painful. It sounds like pop music floating free from the standard rules of pop music, heading into uncharted territory. <strong>Alexis Petridis</strong></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2016/sep/15/mercury-prize-bowie-skepta-radiohead-critics">Continue reading...</a>Mercury prize 2016MusicMusicPop and rockMercury prizeAwards and prizesCultureLaura MvulaSkeptaDavid BowieAntony and the JohnsonsThe 1975RadioheadThu, 15 Sep 2016 11:42:08 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2016/sep/15/mercury-prize-bowie-skepta-radiohead-criticsComposite: Getty/PRComposite: Getty/PRAlexis Petridis, Kate Hutchinson, Dave Simpson, Rachel Aroesti, Michael Hann and Gwilym Mumford2016-09-15T11:42:08ZWatching Radiohead on 9/11, 15 years aparthttps://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/sep/13/radiohead-911-concerts-15-years-apart
<p>I saw Radiohead play in Berlin on the day the World Trade Center was attacked. On Sunday they were back in the city – and so was I</p><p>Fifteen years ago I made the fateful decision to travel from my home in New York to Berlin to see <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/radiohead">Radiohead</a> perform. At the time, I worked as a radio producer at the BBC’s New York bureau, and the date on my ticket had yet to acquire its tragic significance: 11 September 2001. Like many other people, that day is seared into my brain: a day of horror, disbelief, anger and sadness, and all of it – for me – forever associated with the sublime music of Radiohead.<br></p><p> Last Sunday, Radiohead were back in Berlin, performing as the headlining act of the <a href="http://www.lollapaloozade.com/">Lollapalooza Berlin</a> festival, the date of their show falling on the 15th anniversary of 9/11. I made the trip back to see a band that had provided a significant soundtrack to my life so far, believing this moment would be among other things a point of reflection on that dark day. It seemed unlikely that the band’s famously taciturn lead singer, Thom Yorke, would say anything about that historic anniversary, and yet there always seems to be a heartbreaking line in his elliptical lyrics that says it all. “And it’s too late / The damage is done,” Yorke sings in the recent song Daydreaming. That feels about right to me.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global/2016/may/08/radiohead-a-moon-shaped-pool-review">Radiohead: A Moon Shaped Pool review – something they've never achieved before</a> </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/sep/13/radiohead-911-concerts-15-years-apart">Continue reading...</a>RadioheadMusicCultureSeptember 11 2001Thom YorkeTue, 13 Sep 2016 15:23:33 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/sep/13/radiohead-911-concerts-15-years-apartPhotograph: Sophia Kembowski/AFP/Getty ImagesPhotograph: Sophia Kembowski/AFP/Getty ImagesDamian Fowler2016-09-13T15:23:33ZWatch Mark Pritchard and Thom Yorke's Beautiful Peoplehttps://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/sep/01/watch-mark-pritchard-thom-yorke-beautiful-people-video-guardian-exclusive
<p>The eerie, misty video to the collaborative track Beautiful People, shown at Sundance, is now online exclusively for the Guardian. Take a look </p><p>It’s curious, given the cultural currency of having <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/dec/01/thom-yorke-youtube-steals-art-nazis-second-world-war">Thom Yorke</a> feature on your track, just how many artists choose to turn his vocals down in the mix. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afw5Z7XNDUQ">Modeselektor</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RU49Ujys3c">Burial</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxP6q63NY7Y">Flying Lotus</a> have manipulated, buried and distorted his spectral presence on their songs. Maybe it’s testament to how Yorke’s instrument-like voice transcends the egocentric posturing of the indie rock singer stereotype, or perhaps it’s a badge of solidarity – emphasising that his work with artists on the outskirts of mainstream music requires no fanfare, no big deal. </p><p>Or maybe Yorke hates being the centre of attention. In <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/dec/01/thom-yorke-youtube-steals-art-nazis-second-world-war">Radiohead</a>’s 2016 shows, Yorke has been enjoying his role front and centre of stage like never before in the band’s 20-year career – unselfconsciously dancing and interacting as if he <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e15vnYucPZg">was in the audience</a>, rather than narcissistically absorbing the adoration.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/sep/01/watch-mark-pritchard-thom-yorke-beautiful-people-video-guardian-exclusive">Continue reading...</a>MusicThom YorkeCultureRadioheadThu, 01 Sep 2016 12:39:04 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/sep/01/watch-mark-pritchard-thom-yorke-beautiful-people-video-guardian-exclusivePhotograph: VimeoPhotograph: VimeoHarriet Gibsone2016-09-01T12:39:04ZThe 2016 Mercury prize shortlist: hear the albums – and see what our critics thought of themhttps://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/aug/04/2016-mercury-prize-shortlist-what-our-critics-said-hear-the-albums
<p>Read what we said about this year’s 12 Hyundai Mercury prize-shortlisted albums – from Anonhi to Bowie to the 1975 – and listen to them in full. And let us know what the judges have missed …</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2016/aug/04/mercury-prize-2016-shortlist-grime-bowie-radiohead-skepta">From visionary veterans to grime lords, the Mercury list revives an ailing brand – Alexis Petridis’s verdict</a></li></ul><p><strong>What we said: </strong>“Anohni, who previously preferred to record against soft piano with the occasional instrumental flourish, has changed tack for Hopelessness, teaming up with the avant-electronica producers <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/mar/14/hudson-mohawke-kanye-west-producer">Hudson Mohawke</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/nov/18/oneohtrix-point-never-garden-of-delete">Oneohtrix Point Never</a>. The results are astonishing, treading a line between underground electronica and the most cutting-edge pop and R&amp;B productions: fizzing synths, beats that skitter along or thud like heartbeats. I Don’t Love You Anymore – with its organs and gunshot cracks – sounds like a church service during the breakout of apocalypse.”</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/aug/04/2016-mercury-prize-shortlist-what-our-critics-said-hear-the-albums">Continue reading...</a>Mercury prize 2016Pop and rockAwards and prizesMusicCultureDavid BowieThe 1975Laura MvulaRadioheadSkeptaSavagesGrimeRapElectronic musicJazzIndieMercury prizeHip-hopThu, 04 Aug 2016 13:47:40 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/aug/04/2016-mercury-prize-shortlist-what-our-critics-said-hear-the-albumsPhotograph: PR Company HandoutPhotograph: PR Company HandoutGuardian music2016-08-04T13:47:40ZDavid Bowie heads Mercury shortlist with his final album, Blackstarhttps://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/aug/04/david-bowie-heads-mercury-shortlist-with-his-final-album-blackstar
<p>The singer, who died in January, appears on a list that also recognises the resurgence of UK grime by including Skepta and Kano</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2016/aug/04/mercury-prize-2016-shortlist-grime-bowie-radiohead-skepta">Alexis Petridis’s verdict on the Mercury shortlist</a></li></ul><p>David Bowie has been honoured with a posthumous place on the Hyundai Mercury prize shortlist for his final album, Blackstar, which was described as a “parting gift” for fans.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/aug/04/2016-mercury-prize-shortlist-what-our-critics-said-hear-the-albums">The 2016 Mercury prize shortlist: hear all the albums – and see what our critics thought of them</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/apr/09/trans-singer-anohni-new-album-hopelessness">Anohni, the artist once known as Antony Hegarty, on life beyond the Johnsons</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/may/07/natasha-khan-bat-for-lashes-new-album-the-bride">Bat For Lashes: 'Even in Sex And The City, the single girls end up with someone'</a> </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/aug/04/david-bowie-heads-mercury-shortlist-with-his-final-album-blackstar">Continue reading...</a>Mercury prize 2016Pop and rockGrimeAwards and prizesMusicCultureDavid BowieSkeptaThe 1975RadioheadKanoBat for LashesAnohniJamie WoonLaura MvulaMercury prizeUK newsHip-hopSavagesMichael KiwanukaThu, 04 Aug 2016 10:11:19 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/aug/04/david-bowie-heads-mercury-shortlist-with-his-final-album-blackstarPhotograph: PR ImagePhotograph: PR ImageHannah Ellis-Petersen2016-08-04T10:11:19ZFrom Lollapalooza to Panorama, this is a golden age of festivalshttps://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jul/28/lollapalooza-panorama-golden-age-festivals
<p>Right now, there are more opportunities than ever to enjoy the communal experience of watching the world’s great bands at the peak of their form</p><p>Few bands, you’d think, could open a Friday night headline set at a festival with five songs off the new album. Fewer could do it and still keep an audience in the tens of thousands, onside. And yet, there was a moment watching Radiohead earlier this month – specifically, in the middle of Karma Police, on their second encore – where two things seemed inarguable: the first, all tedious hype aside, they really are one of the greatest live acts of our time. Sorry. But I can’t think of another band right now for who playing an actual “hit”, a mainstream crowd favourite, is a rare mythical treat rather than a festival-goer’s standard expectation. </p><p>And yet, <a href="http://www.nme.com/news/radiohead/94907">their much-blogged performance of Creep</a> at <a href="http://nosalive.com/en/">Nos Alive</a> in Portugal wasn’t even the highlight of the set; Radiohead have hit the point in their live careers where their staggering back catalogue is almost incidental. Almost. (For what it’s worth, a mid-set triple punch of Reckoner, Everything in its Right Place and Idioteque went straight from guts to hearts to lumps in throats.) A love letter for anyone who will see them headline <a href="http://www.lollapalooza.com/">Lollapalooza</a> in Chicago on Friday night: they’re on peak form, I promise.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jul/28/lollapalooza-panorama-golden-age-festivals">Continue reading...</a>MusicCultureRadioheadFestivalsThu, 28 Jul 2016 16:34:55 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/jul/28/lollapalooza-panorama-golden-age-festivalsPhotograph: Javier Zorrilla/EPAPhotograph: Javier Zorrilla/EPANosheen Iqbal2016-07-28T16:34:55ZTurkish Radiohead fans attacked by mob during listening party - videohttps://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2016/jun/19/turkish-radiohead-fans-attacked-by-mob-during-listening-party-istanbul-video
<p>A live-stream of a Radiohead listening party in Istanbul captures the moment a mob storms the indie record store. The group of some 20 men were unhappy with the store playing music and handing out alcohol in the month of Ramadan. The attack triggered a protest, causing crowds to clash with riot police in the city on Saturday</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/18/turkish-radiohead-fans-attacked-istanbul">Turkish Radiohead fans attacked at listening party in Istanbul</a></li></ul> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2016/jun/19/turkish-radiohead-fans-attacked-by-mob-during-listening-party-istanbul-video">Continue reading...</a>TurkeyWorld newsRadioheadSun, 19 Jun 2016 14:23:12 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2016/jun/19/turkish-radiohead-fans-attacked-by-mob-during-listening-party-istanbul-videoPhotograph: Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty ImagesPhotograph: Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty ImagesGuardian Staff2016-06-19T14:23:12ZTurkish Radiohead fans attacked at listening party in Istanbulhttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/18/turkish-radiohead-fans-attacked-istanbul
<p>About 20 men beat up fans of the group outside the Velvet Indieground record store, apparently angry at them enjoying music and alcohol during Ramadan</p><p>A group of Radiohead fans has been attacked by a mob of men carrying sticks and bottles as they held a listening party of the band’s music in Istanbul.<br></p><p>The incident, which was largely <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJMv_XPmvfQ">captured on video</a>, occurred on Friday night at the Velvet Indieground record store – a popular destination for Turkish and foreign music fans in the Istanbul district of Cihangir. There was at least one injury, with a picture of a person with a bloodied shirt, purportedly from the attack, <a href="https://twitter.com/emancipatedcity/status/743916238896791552">posted on Twitter</a>. </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/may/08/radiohead-release-new-album-a-moon-shaped-pool">Radiohead release new album A Moon Shaped Pool</a> </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/18/turkish-radiohead-fans-attacked-istanbul">Continue reading...</a>TurkeyRadioheadMusicWorld newsSat, 18 Jun 2016 15:40:56 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/18/turkish-radiohead-fans-attacked-istanbulPhotograph: Dominique Soguel/APPhotograph: Dominique Soguel/APOliver Milman2016-06-18T15:40:56ZThe best albums of 2016 – so farhttps://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2016/jun/08/the-best-albums-of-2016-so-far
<p>The year is half over and it’s time to take stock of all the brilliant albums made in 2016, from Beyoncé’s fizzing pop to Anohni’s anguished protest music</p><p>The group’s first album in a decade toned down the electronica of earlier incarnations for a more acoustic, but no less propulsive, approach.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2016/jun/08/the-best-albums-of-2016-so-far">Continue reading...</a>MusicBeyoncéAnohniKanye WestPop and rockCultureDavid BowieDrakeJames BlakeMegadethPJ HarveyRadioheadRihannaThe 1975Wed, 08 Jun 2016 07:00:08 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2016/jun/08/the-best-albums-of-2016-so-farComposite: Various/HandoutComposite: Various/HandoutTim Jonze2016-06-08T07:00:08ZRadiohead review - no surprises but an intriguing, triumphant finalehttps://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/may/29/radiohead-live-review-roundhouse-london-finale-thom-yorke
<p><strong>Roundhouse London</strong><br>The final night of the band’s residency has few shock moments, but makes up for it in intimacy and Thom Yorke’s effusive stage presence</p><p> After three dates, and an almighty kerfuffle over tickets, Radiohead’s mini-residency at London’s Roundhouse comes to an end. As much attention has been given over the past three nights to those stuck outside without tickets as those inside – take the plight of one young fan who bought a last-minute ticket on Gumtree only to fall foul of the venue’s stringent ID checks. Even a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/getcallumhouseinroundhouse?src=hash">Twitter hashtag</a> and <a draggable="true" href="http://www.theladbible.com/articles/let-s-get-this-lad-to-the-roundhouse-to-see-radiohead-280516">an intervention from the Lad Bible</a> wasn’t enough to help him beyond the velvet rope.</p><p>For those who have been able to get through the doors, the rewards have been plentiful. For so long, Radiohead, as a live experience, have felt distant, both in their often recalcitrant demeanour and in their physical remove from the crowd in vast venues like the O2. The Roundhouse forces an unusual level of intimacy on a band of their size. Not only have these been the most intimate Radiohead performances in some time, they’ve also been some of the most intriguing, featuring set lists chock-full of favourites, from The Bends onwards, as well as a handful of rarities.<br tabindex="-1"></p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/may/28/radiohead-review-textured-set-which-flits-between-medicinal-bliss-and-fractious-fury">Radiohead review: textured set that flits between medicinal bliss and fractious fury</a> </p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/may/27/radiohead-review-roundhouse-london-thom-yorke">Radiohead review – Yorke and co hit new heights on a night of muscular mayhem</a> </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/may/29/radiohead-live-review-roundhouse-london-finale-thom-yorke">Continue reading...</a>RadioheadMusicCultureIndieIndie gamesSun, 29 May 2016 08:59:38 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/may/29/radiohead-live-review-roundhouse-london-finale-thom-yorkePhotograph: Valerio Berdini/REX/ShutterstockPhotograph: Valerio Berdini/REX/ShutterstockGwilym Mumford2016-05-29T08:59:38ZRadiohead review: textured set that flits between medicinal bliss and fractious furyhttps://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/may/28/radiohead-review-textured-set-which-flits-between-medicinal-bliss-and-fractious-fury
<p><strong>Roundhouse, London</strong><br>The second of the Oxford band’s three sold-out shows in the north London venue sees them start slow but build to a life-affirming close</p><p>Friday night in grimy Camden town; there are kazoo conventions less cacophonous. Yet pin-drop silence fills north London’s Roundhouse; a venue rammed with a few thousand fans tentatively absorbing Thom Yorke’s ghostly vocals which ascend during Daydreaming’s quiet climax. </p><p>Here lies a most respectful audience – including the likes of <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/oct/18/kate-bush-on-camera">Kate Bush</a>, PJ Harvey, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/feb/20/chris-morris-comeback-stewart-lee-comedy-vehicle">Chris Morris</a> and Julian Barratt – enamoured with the prospect of sharing the same orbit as these celestial beings; phones barely held aloft, whispered conversations rarely had. The second night of Radiohead’s relatively intimate return to the city is a complex, textured set which flits from moments of medicinal bliss to fractious fury, a sense of burgeoning chaos never quite erupting but constantly adding to the delicious suspense.</p><p> <span>Related: </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/may/27/radiohead-review-roundhouse-london-thom-yorke">Radiohead review – Yorke and co hit new heights on a night of muscular mayhem</a> </p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/may/28/radiohead-review-textured-set-which-flits-between-medicinal-bliss-and-fractious-fury">Continue reading...</a>RadioheadMusicCultureIndieSat, 28 May 2016 00:12:40 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/may/28/radiohead-review-textured-set-which-flits-between-medicinal-bliss-and-fractious-furyPhotograph: Jim Dyson/RedfernsPhotograph: Jim Dyson/RedfernsHarriet Gibsone2016-05-28T00:12:40ZWhat does it mean to be a music critic in the age of the stealth release?https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/may/27/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-music-critic-in-the-age-of-the-stealth-release
<p>From Beyoncé to Radiohead, reviewers no longer get to hear an album early, but maybe that’s no bad thing for readers</p><p>I am talking to a music business PR, having a conversation that’s become increasingly familiar over the past few years. He’s informing me that reviewers won’t be given advance copies of the new album. </p><p>The artist he’s working with isn’t, by any stretch of the imagination, a globe-straddling megastar of the Beyoncé or Adele variety. She’s never had a hit single, her albums scrape the lower reaches of the charts. You’d describe her as critically acclaimed, but even she’s decided not to bother courting the attention of critics.</p><p>If I was an artist, I’d probably ​wouldn’t do it either</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/may/27/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-music-critic-in-the-age-of-the-stealth-release">Continue reading...</a>Pop and rockRadioheadMusicMembershipCultureFri, 27 May 2016 13:00:04 GMThttp://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/may/27/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-music-critic-in-the-age-of-the-stealth-releasePhotograph: YoutubePhotograph: YoutubeAlexis Petridis2016-05-27T13:00:04Z